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Chem Chems, Little and Big

On my most recent visit to Tanzania, I finally managed to visit a place that’s been on Trufflepig’s radar for several years now – Chem Chem, and its smaller but equally charming sibling, Little Chem Chem. Hopes were high and I am glad to say we were not disappointed. The lodge and accompanying tented camp that the owners […]

The Moveable Feast

From the air, the herds looks like a vast black and tan army on the march. Endless columns of Wildebeest move south to the Mara River, assembling in staging areas as if preparing for an invasion of the Serengeti. Almost two million animals make the crossing, in groups of a few hundred to tens of […]

Superb Safari Savings

If you’ve ever dreamed about going on safari but figured it was too expensive, think again. Wilderness Safaris’ 6 Countries Summer Special is back and this year its better than ever. Wilderness Safaris began offering the Six Countries Special a few years ago, to run during the North American winter, and each year it seems […]

Capping Off Your Safari

On paper I’m a trip planner, but when I get right down to it I’m a photographer who loves being in Africa. I love snapping a photo of a camouflaged leopard, or capturing the majesty of a herd of elephants on the move. Birds have always been less of a priority—they’re hard for a photographer. […]

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

I am always amazed that in the space of just two days I can travel from a cold and rainy Toronto and be plonked down by a light aircraft about as far away as one can get in the wilds of Africa. It gets me every time, and it’s just one of the many things […]

Mara Plains 2.0

About four years ago I visited the original Mara Plains and it was fantastic, becoming easily one of my favourite camps in Kenya. Since then it has been completely rebuilt, and I have to say, now it’s even better. Mara Plains is run by Great Plains Conservation, a company which has slowly but surely built […]

A Pilgrim in Tigray

The non-believers among you might consider skipping churches when making your sightseeing hit list; on a trip to Ethiopia, this is where you’d be making your biggest mistake. In Tigray you’ll find the oldest Christian sites in the country, and they are absolute must-sees, even if you’re of the atheistic persuasion. Church fatigue is a […]

Menelik’s Macchiatos

As far as we’re concerned, there is no such thing as too much coffee (we’ve had an even stronger addiction that usual lately). The shakes and the racing heart beat after your fourth cup of the morning—that’s not too much caffeine, that simply means you’re doing it right. You’ll be glad to hear that Ethiopia […]

Wanted: Safari Planner Extraordinaire

Who says wildlife and farm life can’t co-exist? At Trufflepig we jumped the fence long ago and have never looked back. Our planners are passionate about safari and we spend a lot of time on African soil. From community-owned conservancies in Kenya, to rustic wine farms on the Cape, to bushman initiation hunts in the Kalahari, we […]

Going Small on Safari

The thing most people don’t know about safari in Africa is that it’s not all about seeing the big animals. Of course the sight of your first elephant in the wild is impressive (even more so if it’s charging you), and hearing a lion’s bellowing roar will rock your eardrums like nothing else. But when […]

The Doors of Perception

When you visit a country for the first time, especially one that is completely foreign to any past experience, you tend to focus on a specific detail. You find comfort in this detail, and make a point to learn as much as you can about it. Using this method, you can comfortably learn more about […]

Make Like a Tree and Leave

Sometimes—you might even say often—we travel to escape. When routines become audible like the meshing of gears, we feel the compulsion to lose ourselves, to shed skin. Some places encourage fantasies of time travel—where we imagine ourselves living as adults in a different age. Take the ancient Medina of Fez for example, or the caves […]

Island of Dreams

Ibo Island is one of those places I always hoped existed but then kind of lost faith in. Finding it was like remembering a dream a few hours after waking—I felt a rush of excitement and familiarity, a sense of triumph. And now I spend my days dreaming of going back. Because of its fresh […]

It’s Beginning to Look Nothing Like Christmas

As winter finally unclenches its fist from around our collective throats, and the temperature deigns to rise above negative double digits, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “where shall we go next Christmas?” Actually, that’s probably the last thing on your mind as you dream of warm sunshine and footwear other than snow boots, but […]

12 Reasons to Visit Morocco

This little corner of Northern Africa is one of our favourite places to plan in. Why? Because there’s nowhere else in the world quite like Morocco. Here are a few of our top reasons to visit: 1) Get the blues—Pink may be the navy blue of India (as Diana Vreeland, fabled former editor of Vogue, […]

A Sandy Love Story

Love is in the air. Mostly because we’re trying desperately to ward off the snowy chill of February, but also because of that heart-shaped holiday awaiting us at the end of the week. Whether you think it’s a perfect time for romance or a total Hallmark sham, you can’t lose if you simply look at […]